themes in sweat by lynn nottage
Their decades-long friendship ends in a seemingly insurmountable grudge, a heartbreaking reality that drives home the pain, jealousy, and hostility that can come about when one friend feels left behind by another. The playwright shows how owners manipulate individual efforts to advance in order to destroy solidarity and instead foster suspicions, mistrust, and rifts between friends. Lynn Nottage's Sweat was published in 2015 and won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017. [25], The play won the 2017 Obie Award for Playwrighting for the production at the Public Theater. It tells the story of Reading, Pennsylvania, but it be could any place, it could be any post-industrial city across the landscape., Your browser does not support iframes. TRACEY: Stillyou werent born here, Berks. Directory, News The Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts will present Lynn Nottages award-winning Sweat for eight performances, opening on Nov. 9 in Squires Studio Theatre. Jason, in particular, is notably altered by his time in prison, where he becomes a white supremacist. When Chris reveals that hell be leaving Olsteads to study teaching at Albright College, Jason is blindsidedhed hoped to work alongside his best friend for the foreseeable future and to eventually retire and open a business together. Lynn Nottage, originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York produced the award-winning play, Sweat.Lynn Nottage began working on the play in 2011 by interviewing numerous residents of Reading, Pennsylvania, which at the time was, according to the United States Census Bureau, officially one of the poorest cities in America, with a poverty rate of over 40%. John Earl Jelks is heartbreaking as Chris's father, a maddened drug addict who has lost the respect of his family. The latter character gets the position, but soon the company moves jobs to Mexico. Due to a lot of anger and resentment throughout the production, there were various racial slurs that stuck out to me because of our current problem of racism in society today. Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Building,200 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Phone: 540-231-6779, Fax: 540-231-7157,news.liberalarts@vt.edu Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Ultimately, Sweat shows the interpersonal costs of raising ones station: when desperate people strive for more out of life, fellow desperate peopleeven, and especially, dear friendswill often respond with resentment rather than support. The collection contains chapters on each of her major works . For online purchase, find ticket links here. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Nottage chose the Rust Belt town of Reading, Pennsylvania, because at the time of the plays composition, Reading was the poorest town of its size in the United States. You hear from the old gang? All of the floor workers at Olsteads feel replaceable and worry about their job security, so Cynthias bump in pay and benefits comes off as a slap in the face to her coworkersone that drives a wedge between her and Tracey especially. Lynn Nottage, as she showed in Intimate Apparel, which was about a seamstress in the 1900s, has the capacity to dramatise work. Though her two friends clash throughout the play, Pietz appears to harbor most of the blows. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Free shipping for many products! Any subject. CYNTHIA: [] You know after everything. The play alternates between the same characters in 2000 and 2008, a plot structure that allows the audience to see how these choice pan out over timeand the shame and guilt that characters feel in response to their actions, even eight years later. In light of these background economic trends, the play has a distinctive atmosphere of precarity. She loves to hang out at the bar with her friends and she has a gruff kind of humor. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contactSusan Sanders prior to the event. However, several close relationships are challenged as characters try to pursue new opportunities and escape the very circumstance over which they bond with others. Director Lisa Peterson uses television screens to document major world events that led to the collapse of the American factory system, such as the financial crisis and bailout of 2008 and the election of George W. Bush in 2000, so that the audience can travel back to a precarious time not very different from 2018. Synopsis for SWEAT: SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Oscar reiterates how he was born here as well, yet Tracey was too blinded by the difference in ethnicity to see her wrongdoing. Although such connections are often indirect, they arise through tangible realities such as corporate downsizing and non-union hiring practices. The employees work lives and decisions about organizing likewise affect their children. Throughout the entirety of the play, alcohol was utilized as a prop by almost all the characters. Saturday-Sunday February 25 & 26 at 2pm . This Study Guide consists of approximately 52pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - [10] It said that the city was "synonymous with deindustrialisation", for the effects there of loss of heavy industry and related jobs.[10]. Since the twenties, okay? This in-personevent will take place in BMCCs Theatre II. In a world deemed as free, there are still so many disparities within that statement. School of Performing Arts News|Science, Technology, and Society News|Sociology News, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. Though the play is brimming with these rich themes, the execution does not always succeed. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. The bartender in the play is Stan. [1] The action takes place in a fictional bar[6] in Reading, Pennsylvania.[7]. As a community already steeped in tradition and resistant to outsiders, this downturn causes Readings white working class to become downright hostile toward black and Latinx peopleeven individuals they once called friendsbecause they believe minorities are stealing their jobs away. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. It highlights serious problems in society such as racism, economic strain, drug abuse, and toxic relationships. She . In this breathtaking new play, premiered in 2015, she tackles the devastating impact of loss of work and of de-industrialisation on modern America. Management is for them. [4] The play was produced off-Broadway in 2016, and on-Broadway in 2017. At Donmar Warehouse, London, until 26 January. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. She is on and off with her husband, Brucie, who is addicted to drugs. Media Inquiries: 540-232-8574,jennykb@vt.edu, Alumni Relations:540-231-8364,robynes@vt.edu Word Count: 524. Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. The plays setting offers an appropriate stage on which to explore this theme. We are left hoping the characters will attempt to make amends as we see the effects of the conflict. In the world of the play, attempting to raise ones status and transcend ones current situation breeds resentment among the very friends who commiserated with that situation. As coming from a Hispanic background and having family members come from Costa Rica to America, scenes centered around Oscar were important to me. Nottage shifts in time, switching scenes and showing events of eight years earlier. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Teachers and parents! [4] It also suggested that the play was reminiscent of the "working-class naturalism" of Clifford Odets, a playwright of the 1930s. Academic Policies Less work. . Overall, I believe that this production was truly eye-opening and although many problems are discussed, the awareness raised about racial tension was the most significant. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. ', 'Come From Away', and 'Anastasia' Lead 2017 Drama Desk Award Nominations", "2017 Tony Award Nominations: 'The Great Comet' and 'Hello, Dolly!' She explored the effects on residents of the loss of heavy industry and the changing ethnic composition of the city. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, close friends whove shared many adventures, (Points to the skin on the back of her hand). Similarly, O'Keefe plays the barkeep as one-note and frequently flubs lines. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2017. "[9], The play's political context has also been noted. Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, Sweat tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. publication in traditional print. Tracey's attempts to be alluring do not convince Stan, so they stop dancing as. The play portrays a meeting between a parole officer and two ex-convicts, and three women who were childhood friends and had worked in the same factory. To understand how we got here, Nottage takes us back to the year 2000. Try it today! Well, my familys been here a long time. This leads to a confrontation with Jason, egged on by his mother. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. This change proves to be an advantage for Cynthia professionally, but a disadvantage personally. When backed up against the wall and left with neither income nor hope, people sink into racism almost by reflex. "Sweat," Lynn Nottage's 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama set in a faltering factory town in Pennsylvania, magnificently answers the call for more far-ranging American playwriting. Cmon. The. Of the performances, Coleman and Hochman remarkably deviate from sullen and washed-out in their 2008 scenes, to rambunctious, youthful, and optimistic in 2000. For example, after Cynthia was promoted to Warehouse Supervisor, Tracey was very upset which led her to drink and smoke. Students They built the house that I live in. For a thoughtful portrait, turn to playwright Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat', "The First Theatrical Landmark of the Trump Era", "Lynn Nottage: 'Nostalgia is a disease many white Americans have', "Review: Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat' Examines Lives Unraveling by Industry's Demise", "Off Broadway Review: Lynn Nottage's 'Sweat', "Lynn Nottage's SWEAT Headed to The Public Next Year; Broadway on the Horizon? "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." The play portrays a meeting between a parole officer and two ex-convicts, and three women who were childhood . The plot consists of many different characters. Mara plays Tracey as a shrill woman who is looking for others to blame. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. by Lynn Nottage. [9] The Wall Street Journal review suggested the play "explained" Trump's win. CYNTHIA: [] I dont deserve the things youve been saying. Ive got twenty-four years on the floor. It closed on December 18, 2016 to transfer to Broadway. Stan tries to stop it but ends up getting hit. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Call me selfish, I dont care, call me whatever you need to call me, but remember, one of us has to be left standing to fight. Tempted by the opportunity to finally work at the factory, where he will receive higher wages than at the bar, Oscar crosses the picket line. L ynn Nottage's Sweat is a play set in 2000 and 2008 that explores the tension in a group of friends in the midst of layoffs at a factory in Reading, Pennsylvania. Tell me about whats been going on. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Source: www.asolorep.org. Oscar, the busboy at a bar, is viewed as a traitor when he begins working at the factory the friends and their union are protesting. The trade union goes on strike, and company management locks out the workers. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance eNotes.com Alumni Stories|Faculty Stories|Student Stories|Philanthropy News|Academic News|Bookshelf|Media Mentions [5] Nottage herself even spoke at the strike, which is what made her realize she had to do more. The play takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where there is one main line of work everyone goes into. They also work at the plant, although Chris talks about going to college. Sweat I really feel is the American story. [13] The production closed on June 25, 2017, after 105 performances. Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Sweat, now playing at the Mark Taper Forum, exposes the collapse of the American working class in the new millennium.When backed up against the wall and . Tickets will be available at the door in the Squires Student Center beginning one hour prior to the performance. 2023 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Complimentary and Deeply Discounted Shows. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. -Graham S. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. However, Sweats cast of characters is anything but empowered: rather than resist the hand theyve been dealt, they, The characters in Sweat have spent decades of their lives thanklessly laboring in Reading Pennsylvanias local steel and textile mills amid poor working conditions, disrespectful management, and union disputes. Found a perfect sample but need a unique one? More vacation. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. This kind of intimate friendship seems to be the norm rather than the exception in Reading: Traceys son Jason and Cynthias son Chris are also best friends who work at Olsteads and who depend on each other for solidarity and camaraderie. Whether its the discussion that Oscar doesnt deserve a job or him being attacked, they are all just as equally painful and wrong. By clicking Receive Essay, you agree to our, Stereotypes inThe House on Mango Street Essay Example, Theme of Sexism in The Scarlet Letter Essay Sample, Argumentative Essay: The Dehumanization Of The Holocaust, Role of Social Class in Jane Eyre (Essay Sample), The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Book Review, Essay Sample on Fahrenheit 451: The Frightening Analogy Between Societies, In Cold Blood and Criminal Justice Essay Example, Class Hierarchy inThe Great Gatsby Essay Example, Scrooge's Transformation in Dickens' A Christmas Carol Essay Sample, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Order original paper now and save your time! T he main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. The second date is today's Sweat was first performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015 before playing at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. that year. The ramifications of humanity's anger hangs over the play, yet Nottage hints at the power of forgiveness and redemption. The main themes in Sweat are race and class in the workplace, the effect of work life on the family, and economies and individuals. The sheer amount of time that characters spend together in the lived-in and comfortable bar after work emphasizes just how important a similar sense of familiarity and comfort is in their relationships with one another. They are released in 2008. Lynn Nottage. The volume covers Nottage's plays, productions, activism, and artistic collaborations to display the extraordinary breadth and depth of her work. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Nottage addresses the theme of social status, specifically in how the characters lives and relationships are shaped based on job position, socio-economic class, and education. She doesnt really believe a floor worker will get the promotion, but when Cynthia talks about applying, Tracey decides to as well. Tracey talks about an upcoming promotion at work and how there is a rumor that they want to promote someone from the floor to a manager position. An immediate divide is created between Cynthia and her friends. Nottage researched her work in Reading and while there, gathered material for her play Clyde's, now extended through March 12 at Arden Theatre Co. Club members can see a different show every night of the week. Sweat is preceded by an excerpt from Langston Hughes's "Let America Be America Again," a poem that critiques the false promise of the American Dream and encourages poor and working-class Americans (among other marginalized groups) to rise up and "make America again"essentially to "redeem" the oppression they've faced and the opportunities Download the entire Sweat study guide as a printable PDF! Mainly the women in her family who were teachers, activists, and artists. The play was produced Off-Broadway in 2016 and on Broadway in 2017. When layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a fight to stay afloat. Fight director Steve Raskin makes the final confrontation realistic and harrowing. Instant PDF downloads. SWEAT is a 2015 play by American playwright Lynn Nottage. Characters are saddened and enraged in the face of wage cuts, and conflicts erupt between them as they struggle to navigate their lives in the face of diminishing opportunities. But I stood on line, patiently waiting for a break. Do you know what its like, she asks, to get up and have no place to go? For the equally tough Cynthia, work is a means of advancement and her union card is a symbol of racial acceptance. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original It is bookended by scenes showing two young ex-cons confronting their parole officer, but the bulk of the action is set eight years earlier, in the year 2000, in a downtown bar where women workers from the local factory hang out. Jason and Chris are Tracey and Cynthias sons respectively. Nottage's characters were based on personal research and interviews she conducted in Reading throughout 2011. View our Privacy Policy. 1 Mar. This showed me how the production was truly pointing out the racism that lies in our economy still today, whether its the advantages white men hold or the wages gaps between races and genders. Be angry, but dont make it about this(Points to the skin on the back of her hand) Look at me, Tracey. Log in here. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. To combat this constant strain and underappreciation, the members of Readings working-class community depend upon tight-knit relationships with one another as a means of stress relief, support, and fulfillment. You dont know what its been like to walk in my shoes. TRACEY: Yeah? The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by American playwright Lynn Nottage focuses on race, class, prejudice and friendship. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Sweat switches between 2000 and 2008 as Lynn Nottage tells the story of a group of friends who work together on the factory floor. After what went down. The second date is today's Local factory workers mull around a watering hole run by one of their former colleagues, Stan (Michael O'Keefe). New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2009. We see how the plant uses ethnicity to divide workers in the case of Oscar, who is Latino. Oscar now works there as the manager, and he takes care of Stan, who we find out has suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the fight. Sweat examines the changing lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, between the years of 2000 and 2008. Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. Stan seems to be the link between Oscar and the others, as the others treat Oscar like an outsider. This Study Guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Sweat. Their whole lives have been on the factory line. date the date you are citing the material. Directed by Kate Whoriskey (who also directed the earlier productions), the cast featured Carlo Alban (Oscar), James Colby (Stan), Khris Davis (Chris), Johanna Day (Tracey), John Earl Jelks (Brucie), Will Pullen (Jason), Miriam Shor (Jessie), Lance Coadie Williams (Evan), and Michelle Wilson (Cynthia). This is highlighted by Brucie, who experienced a similar situation at a different mill. By signing up you are confirming you are 16 or over. eNotes.com, Inc. Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Sweat, now playing at the Mark Taper Forum, exposes the collapse of the American working class in the new millennium. Human Resources Text-only Version, Information for: Im cool with everyone. Lynn Nottage: 'Nostalgia is a disease many white Americans have', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Find additional parking information here. TRACEY: [] I know the floor as good as Cynthia. Scene 1 of Act 2 shows Jason and Chris returning to visit their mothers. Background. When the plant threatens to cut wages and lay off workers, the friends turn against each other as they struggle to stay afloat. "Sweat - Themes" eNotes Publishing Behind the plays portrayal of the damage done to individual lives by what Nottage calls the American de-industrial revolution lies a wider picture of collapsing hopes and corporate ruthlessness. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. [1] It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Note: All essays placed on IvyMoose.com are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. Working with this diverse cast of student actors to climb inside this story has been a gift. Personally, this part of the play resonated with my feelings towards the racial violence we experience today. discover the notice Sweat Tcg Edition English Edition that you are looking for. [7], The play has been described as "a powerful and emotional look at identity, race, economy, and humanity. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child, Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine. But the sense of pride they've had over their work is being stripped away as the company begins to disassemble. Admissions This is shown in many of the bar scenes. The kind but stalwart officer (Kevin T. Carroll) hopes a reunion between the two will help heal their wounds. Struggling with distance learning? You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. JASON: Shit, I just kinda thought wed retire and open a franchise together. Oscar, the bus boy at the bar, is Latino and is not acknowledged often by the people who go there. She bitterly tells Oscar, the busboy at the bar, that she know[s] the floor as good as Cynthia does, and Jessie confirms that Cynthias promotion has pissed off a lot of people even though she earned it fairly. Unfortunately, that kinetic energy is all on one level, high, so the audience feels distanced from the characters. Race was never the main theme in, Sweat by Lynn Nottage, but it helped move the story along and added greatly to some of the characters development. Wil Johnson as Brucie and Stuart McQuarrie as Stan. Sweat charts the connection between the broader economic trends that animate and shape American society and the lives of individual Americans who are affected by those trends. In the midst of all this, Cynthia, who is African-American, is up for a management role after years of hard work, but her promotion leads to frustration as both the company and her friends use her as a scapegoat. (including. 1 Mar. Management wants to cut wages, and the union will have to vote to accept the concessions or go on strike. Give to BMCC As such, the play shows how economic, Sweats cast of characters reads as distinctly human: none are wholly good nor wholly bad, and nearly all make mistakes that hurt themselves or their loved ones. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In Lynette Lintons production, Frankie Bradshaws impressive design sets the watering hole against a background of rusting girders. 5 pages at 400 words per page) The play opens in 2008, and we meet Jason and Chris as they individually speak to their parole officer, Evan. The last date is today's Essay Example: What Is The Theme Of Sweat By Lynn Nottage Sweat was a meaningful production as there are many important themes to take away from the story. Who is the antagonist in the play Sweat by Lynn Nottage? They all work together and love to hang out at the local bar. To get a high-quality original essay, click here. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Management's physical, intellectual, and emotional removal from workers on the factory floor allows them to ultimately outsource their jobs to Mexico (because they have so little connection to the labor that goes into these jobs, or to the human beings working them). By using it, you accept our. eNotes Editorial. In commenting on the origins of Sweat, Nottage said, I really set about to figure out how poverty and economic stagnation was really shifting the American narrative. Alumni, Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Theatre Department Performance: SWEAT by Lynn Nottage. Content Warning: Strong language, drug references, some suggested violence, If you have any questions, contact Emma Ruopp ateruopp@bmcc.cuny.edu, Borough of Manhattan Community College Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. date the date you are citing the material. Ive taken orders from idiots who were dangerous, or even worse, racist. date the date you are citing the material. 2023
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